January Is Big Month for ISG Clinics

A full slate of clinics is on tap for the first month of the new year as ISG Team Leaders spread out across Europe in their quest to bring quality baseball instruction to the coaches on the continent.
The third weekend of January sees ISG teams in Italy, France and, for the first time, Belarus. The clinic in the former Russian state is ISG's initial foray into that part of Eastern Europe. Clinics in Germany and Slovakia follow in subsequent weeks to round out the month.
Follow us on Facebook as photos are posted of these clinics while they are in process.

More Ammunition against Sport Specialization

The outcry against specialization keep building. The following link will take our readers to a page written by former professional basketball great Steve Nash. Nash also hates the specialization that seems to be forced on young athletes by overzealous parents and coaches who are afraid their sons or daughters will not become professional unless they specialize in early age. This article, along with previously linked articles from sources as diverse as Olympian Kobe Bryant and momsteam.com, decry the move toward limiting athletic development two one sport. Hopefully, it will give coaches some ammunition to use, especially against the year-long football forces in Europe, in their drive to produce an atmosphere for long term athletic development.

https://stevenashyb.wordpress.com/2014/10/20/the-race-to-nowhere-in-youth-sports/

Baseball Players Should Avoid the Benchpress

If nothing else, the 21st century has certainly become the center of change for baseball. New ways of measuring a player's value have been become commonplace thanks to SABR, and even methods of training have become questioned. It might seem sacrilegious to advocates of weight training, but a recent article on stack.com recommends that baseball players stay away from doing the bench press. Some excellent reasoning is given for avoiding the exercise. Follow the link below for their rationale:

http://www.stack.com/2014/02/03/baseball-bench-press/

More Warnings Against Arm Overuse from Dr. Andrews

Along with early specialization, playing too much baseball has lately been identified as one of the primary risk factors that lead to the spate of injuries plaguing youth baseball in recent years. Since we feel so strongly about this issue, we have been posting links to articles that highlight these issues in order to better educate coaches. The following link leads to another article in which noted orthopedic surgeon James Andrews again pleads with parents to guard against overuse of their children's arms.

Follow this link: http://yellowhammernews.com/faithandculture/world-renowned-alabama-surgeon-pleads-parents-give-young-athletes-break/

Other articles you may find interesting:

http://changingthegameproject.com/is-it-wise-to-specialize/

http://www.cleveland.com/dman/index.ssf/2013/02/noted_surgeon_dr_james_andrews.html

http://activeforlife.com/specializing-early-is-bad-idea/

http://changingthegameproject.com/what-about-the-single-sport-athlete-specialization-part-ii/

Best Hope in Years for Baseball to Return to Olympics

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At a recent meeting of the IOC, there were hints that baseball might return to the games in 2020 in Japan.  This news provides a glimmer of hope to all those baseball federations whose budgets were tied to Olympic inclusion of baseball.  Click on the rings below to read the article -

Baseball Canada's Vision for Long Term Athletic Development Shared in Coaching Tips Section

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Baseball Canada is miles ahead of the curve when it comes to developing athletes for life-long success. Thanks to our friend Andre Lachance, they have allowed us to share the scope of that vision with you. Check out our coaching tips section for a graphic illustration of their LTAD plans.
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JUST ADDDED - Photos of the 2013 Vancouver Clinic.